City of Dreams (by Don Winslow)

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Written By Natalie

It was entertaining to be back with Danny Ryan and his crew in City of Dreams, part two of the trilogy by Don Winslow. Danny, on the losing side of a bloody East Coast gang war in Providence, Rhode Island, flees with his young son, elderly father, and the remnants of his crew. They head west to California, seeking a quieter life. However, the FBI soon tracks him down and pressures him into a risky deal. As Hollywood begins filming a movie based on his past, Danny starts working his way from movie sets to producing in an effort to begin a legitimate career. Amidst this, he falls for a glamorous actress with her own dark secrets. The result is a saga of family, loyalty, revenge, and survival, set against the clash of old-school mob life and the glittering, treacherous world of Hollywood.

I started City of Dreams and was immediately pulled in. Winslow does a fantastic job weaving in details from City on Fire, refreshing my memory of specific characters and what had happened without it feeling forced. Those callbacks made the transition into this second book feel seamless.

I was genuinely surprised by the direction the story took—Danny ending up in LA, getting involved with a movie production, and dating an actress. It was not the path I expected. Danny just didn’t fit that lifestyle, and I think that was intentional. The friction between who he is and the world he finds himself in drives a lot of what happens next, and it works.

I don’t particularly like Kevin and Sean. They’re such loose cannons. That’s not a criticism of the book—I don’t think they’re meant to be liked. They’re volatile, unpredictable, and they create tension every time they’re on the page.

And that ending. It was a full WTF moment. I had to sit with those last few pages and process what had just happened—or at least what I think happened. Winslow left me hanging, and the anxiety was real. I’m grateful he included an excerpt from the third book at the end. It helped take the edge off that cliffhanger.

Once I finished, I realized something: I wanted Danny to go straight. But when he starts moving in that direction, the story loses some of its charge. The more legitimate path just isn’t quite as entertaining. It’s an interesting tension that stuck with me after I closed the book.

I purchased my signed, first edition of City of Dreams from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m already looking forward to seeing how Winslow brings this trilogy to a close.

Linked below are my reviews for other Don Winslow books and short stories.

 
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Here are some photos of my lovely Circus Colors gladiolus. I just adore the perfect mixture of bright purple, red, and yellow.

Photo credit to my husband for some of these shots — check out his creative pursuits at lostthepath.com.

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Natalie
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A Far-Flung Life (by M.L. Stedman)